Old/New Testament
43 But now, thus says the LORD Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are Mine.
2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, so that they do not overflow you. When you walk through the very fire, you shall not be burnt, nor shall the flame kindle upon you.
3 “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia, and Seba for you.
4 “Because you were precious in My sight, you were honorable and I loved you, therefore I will give men for you, and people for your sake.
5 “Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west.
6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give,’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold back. Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the Earth.’
7 “Everyone shall be called by My Name. For I created him for My Glory, formed him and made him.
8 “I will bring forth the blind people and they shall have eyes, and the deaf and they shall have ears.”
9 “Let all the nations be gathered together. And let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this and show us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, so that they may be justified. But let them hear, and say, ‘It is truth.’
10 “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “and My servant, whom I have chosen. Therefore, you shall know and believe Me. And you shall understand that I Am. Before Me there was no God formed. Nor shall there be after Me.
11 “I, even I, am the LORD. And besides Me there is no Savior.
12 “I have declared, and I have saved, and I have shown, when there was no strange god among you. Therefore, you are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “that I am God.
13 “Yea, before the day was, I Am. And there is no one who can deliver out of My Hand. I will do it, and who shall reverse it?”
14 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I have sent to Babel, and brought it down. They are all fugitives. And the Chaldeans cry in the ships.
15 “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters:
17 “When He brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the power lie together, and shall not rise. They are extinguished and quenched, as a wick.
18 “Do not remember the former things or regard the things of old.
19 “Behold, I do a new thing. It shall come forth now. Will you not know it? I will even make a way in the desert, rivers in the wilderness.
20 “The wild beasts shall honor Me, the dragons and the ostriches, because I gave water in the desert and rivers in the wilderness, to give drink to My people, even to My Elect.
21 “I have formed this people for Myself. They shall show forth My praise.
22 “And you have not called upon Me, O Jacob. But you have wearied Me, O Israel.
23 “You have not brought Me the sheep of your Burnt Offerings. Nor have you honored Me with your Sacrifices. I have not made you serve with an offering, nor wearied you with incense.
24 “You brought Me no sweet savor with money. Nor have you made Me drunk with the fat of your Sacrifices. But you have made Me serve with your sins, wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He Who puts away your iniquities for My own sake, and will not remember your sins.
26 “Put Me in remembrance. Let us be judged together. State your case, so that you may be justified.
27 “Your first father has sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against Me.
28 “Therefore, I have profaned the rulers of the Sanctuary, and have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a reproach.”
44 “But hear now, O Jacob, My servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 “Thus says the LORD, Who made you and formed you from the womb, Who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and you righteous whom I have chosen.
3 ‘For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your buds.
4 ‘And they shall grow, as among the grass, as the willows by the rivers of waters.’
5 “One shall say, ‘I am the LORD’s.’ Another shall be called by the name of Jacob. And another shall write to the LORD with his hand, and name himself by the name of Israel.
6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: ‘I Am the First and I Am the Last. And without Me there is no God.
7 ‘And who is like Me? Who shall call and shall declare it, and set it in order before Me, since I appointed the ancient people? And what is at hand and what things are to come, let them show to them.
8 ‘Do not fear or be afraid. Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? There is no God, none to know.’”
9 All those who make an image are useless. And their delectable things shall nothing profit. And they are their own witnesses, that they do not see or know. Therefore, they shall be confounded.
10 Who makes a god, or casts an image, that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all who are of its fellowship shall be confounded. For the workmen themselves are men. Let them all be gathered together and stand up. They shall fear and be confounded together.
12 The blacksmith works in the coals with an instrument and fashions it with hammers. He works it with the strength of his arms. Indeed, he is hungry and his strength fails. He drinks no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretches forth a line. He fashions it with a red cord. He planes it and he marks it out with the compass, and makes it in the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, so that it may remain in a house.
14 He will hew down cedars for himself and take the pine tree and the oak. He strengthens himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it.
15 And it shall be for man to burn. For he will take from it, and warm himself. He also kindles it and bakes bread. Also, he makes a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire, of that half he eats flesh. He roasts the roast and is satisfied. Also, he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm. I have been at the fire.”
17 And with the remains he makes a god, his idol. He bows to it, and worships and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me. For you are my god.”
18 They have not known or understood. For God has shut their eyes so that they cannot see, their heart so that they cannot understand.
19 And no one considers in his heart, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burnt half of it in the fire and have also baked bread upon its coals. I have roasted its flesh and eaten it. And shall I make its remains an abomination? Shall I bow to the stock of a tree?”
20 He feeds on ashes. A seduced heart has deceived him, so that he cannot deliver his soul or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 “Remember these (O Jacob and Israel), for you are My servant. I have formed you. You are My servant. O Israel, do not forget Me.
22 “I have put away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins as a mist. Turn to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23 Rejoice, you heavens! For the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the Earth! Burst forth into praises, you mountains, O forest and every tree therein! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel!
24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He Who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD Who made all things, Who spread out the heavens alone, and stretched out the Earth by Myself.
25 “I destroy the signs of the soothsayers, and make fools of those who boast, and turn the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishness.”
26 He confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be inhabited!” And to the cities of Judah, “You shall be built up! And I will repair its decayed places.”
27 He says to the deep, “Be dry!” and, “I will dry up your rivers!”
28 He says to Cyrus, “You are My shepherd,” and, “He shall perform all My desire,” saying also to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the Temple, “Your foundation shall surely be laid.”
2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.
2 But even after we had suffered before (and were insulted at Philippi, as you know) we were emboldened by God to speak the Gospel of God to you with much struggle.
3 For our encouragement was not in error, nor of impurity, nor by deceit.
4 But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak - not as those who please man, but God, Who examines our hearts.
5 Nor did we ever at any time use flattering words (as you know), nor cloaked covetousness. God is our witness.
6 Nor did we seek the praise of man - either by you or by others - when we might have imposed on you as the Apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children.
8 Having this affection toward you, it was our pleasure to have shared with you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you were dear to us.
9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail. For we labored day and night (so that we would not be a burden to any of you) and preached to you the Gospel of God.
10 You and God are witnesses of how holily, and justly, and unblameably we behaved among you who believe.
11 As you know how we exhorted and comforted and testified to every one of you (as a father to his children).
12 So that you would walk worthy of God, Who has called you to His kingdom, and Glory.
13 For this reason also, we thank God unceasingly that when you received the Word of God (which you heard from us) you did not receive it as the word of man, but as it really is - the Word of God - which also works in you who believe.
14 For brothers, you have become followers of the churches of God (which in Judea are in Christ Jesus) because you have also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they have from the Judeans,
15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and have driven us out. And they do not please God and are contrary to all mankind
16 and forbid us to preach to the Gentiles (so that they might be saved), always fulfilling their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
17 But since, brothers, we were kept from you for a season (as far as sight, but not in the heart), we were eager to see your face with great desire.
18 Therefore, we would have come to you (I Paul, at least once or twice) but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
20 Yes! You are our glory and joy!
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.